NRL and the RLPA to meet for talks to break wage war deadlock

RUGBY league’s ongoing uncertainty will come to a head on Monday when the NRL and the RLPA meet to discuss each other’s proposal.

RLPA CEO Ian Prendergastwill be in the players’ corner. Photo: Dylan Robinson

RUGBY league’s ongoing uncertainty will come to a head on Monday when the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association meet for the first time to discuss each other’s proposal.

While the warring parties have met formally consistently in the past 12 months, it will be the first time they will sit at the negotiation table since their respective collective bargaining agreements were offered.

The NRL will have hired gun Dean Kino and chief operating officer Nick Weeks plus a handful of club chief executives representing them while the RLPA will have chief executive officer Ian Prendergast, plus general counsel Tim Lythe, general president Clint Newton plus a handful of players on hand.

It is expected that players will drop in and out of the conference, pending training commitments, with a host of interstate players expected to appear.

WAGE WARS: Sport’s new battleground

RLPA CEO Ian Prendergastwill be in the players’ corner. Photo: Dylan Robinson

The two day intense negotiations begin on Monday and will run until Tuesday. The Sunday Telegraph understands the first item of the agenda will be around the financial underpinnings of the game.

The RLPA are calling for a fixed revenue of 29 per cent, while the NRL’s offer equates to about 26 per cent. The RLPA want a guaranteed revenue for the collective bargaining agreement in a bid to share the financial risk with the NRL as they look to secure a general whole of game partnership.

The RLPA will also request how the NRL intends to spend their share of the game’s revenue in one of the first items on the agenda. It is understood the RLPA will want a comprehensive understanding of how the NRL intend to spend their money’s after labelling the RLPA’s proposal as unaffordable.

Other items on the agenda include wellbeing, education and welfare and injury insurance. Integrity issues will also take up some time in the two-day talks with the RLPA having desire to have more information sharing with the governing body.

The RLPA has produced a 66-page proposal. A focal point will be the game’s salary cap. The RLPA has delivered a $10 million counter offer to the game’s governing body. The NRL has a base salary cap offer of 8.3 million dollars for 30 players, compared to hat of a base of $9.1 million for 26 players by the RLPA.

The NRL is also relucent to commit to guaranteed revenue share. The RLPA’s proposal includes a minimum wage of NRL contracted players to rise to $120,000 while the NRL has offered $90,000 per season.

Outside of the salary cap, the RLPA want an uncapped 10 per cent salary cap discount for developed and experienced players plus motor vehicle, parking, travel and tickets benefits.